Not What It Seems
by Alice Harkey
Summary: AU-ish. Lucy's mother always told her that, "Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem." There was no exception to that statement in Lucy's life. Whether it be the mystery of her mother's death, her father's cruelty, or the people at the Fairy Tail Professions Academy. It's all a game with no exceptions, no rules, and no way out. Game, set, match.
1. Prologue

**Hello. I know I have tons of stories already, but I really wanted to post this one because I thought it was just brilliant! I put up a poll on my profile on whether I should post this story or not, so I decided I'd give you a little bit of a glimpse of What I plan to be posting. This is just the prologue, but I think it's really good for being so short. Anyways, read it and tell me what I should do. Don't forget to vote on the poll, too. Oh, and this is kind of AU, but not too much. So here you have it, the prologue of Not What It Seems. Enjoy!**

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"Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem," my mother once told me. She'd drilled those words into my head, even made me repeat the sentence daily. They became something of a prayer almost. To my family, especially my mother, they were words to live by.

I was young. I couldn't even remember what day it was when I'd gotten the devastating news. One moment I was happy and carefree, the next minute I was sitting quietly next to my mother's bed. I was too young to understand at first, but the cold reality of death cares little of ages and such. That night, my mother died. For some odd reason the words she spoke, the last words that left her mouth before she left our world forever, left behind a chilling and eerie mystery.

"Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem," she'd said with the last of the breath she had. Since that night, I could never look at those words the same way.

**XXxxXXxxXX**

Lucy Heartfilia is the name my parents gave me. I was a student at a "prestige" school in Fiore, studying writing and literature. The Fairy Tail Professions Academy was a bit strange, but it did live up to its reputation as one of the top pre-college institutions in Fiore. I wanted to be an author; in fact, I was working on my very own novel. But, I still had a ways to go before it was finished and edited to perfection. I decided to become a teacher as back-up, in case I couldn't make it as an author. That's why I was enrolled in FTPA, to study further in literature before I went off to try for a Master's in teaching and literature.

Enrolling in the academy wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I'd run away from home in order to go to that school and having a family with a reputation like mine would get me sent home just by the mention of my last name. You see, my family, well, at least my dad, owned the most financially successful tycoon of industries in the country. The name Heartfilia was associated with money, and a lot of it. The discovery of my identity would surly result in trouble; dangerous or not, the outcome wouldn't be good in my opinion.

Ever since my mother passed away, my father dove into his work. He spared little time for me and any loving emotion he once showed me turned ice cold. I was a pawn to him, never allowed to leave the estate unless it was an essential, business related trip. I couldn't make my own decisions, even my own future was written out before me. Everything was planned out, every piece set in place. It was all like a big game and moving the first piece set the game in motion. One thing that I realized all too clearly was that the event that set my father's game in motion… was my mother's death.

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**END NOTE: I wrote this the first day of school in study hall. What do you think? Do you think it'll be worth the extra headache and stress to continue with the story and all that? Now, please realize that this is just the prologue. (I've never actually written a prologue before, but I hope I did a good job on this one) The actual story will have longer chapters (if you guys think I should post the actual story). I promise. So, let me know what you thought. I really like this, but do you?**

**~Alice-chan**


	2. Problem Words

**AN/: After receiving lots of positive feedback from the prologue, I decided to post the first real chapter. This isn't too long, but I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. Enjoy!**

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It was a bright, new day. The birds chirped happily and the sun shone into my window. It was a beautiful morning, and I absolutely hated it. I had to get up for class. I usually loved getting up and going to the academy, it was so much fun with amazing people, too. It was just that my father had finally started looking for me and I just wanted to hide in my bed under my covers. Maybe if I pretended like nothing was happening, all the bad stuff would go away.

"Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem," I muttered unknowingly. I found it strange that, even to this day, I recite that line every morning when I wake up. Whether I realized it or not, I would let the words leave my mouth. And oh, how true those words were.

I knew I couldn't just hide and wait everything out. I didn't understand why my father wouldn't just let me live my own life. It wasn't fair! But, again that one sentence rang through my thoughts. Sometimes, I hated just how true those words could be. Nevertheless, I decided that I'd rather spend the day with my friends than be lonely and sulk in my apartment.

I hopped out of bed and turned on my stereo and pushed play. I had just bought the new Owl City album, Midsummer Station. I loved Owl City. Whenever I listened to his music, yes _his _music, all my problems just seemed to float away. They weren't important, nothing was. Adam Young's songs could do that to you. They were like magic.

I skipped to one of my favorite tracks, Speed of Love, and started singing along with it as I got ready for the day.

"I tried to disappear, but you're the only reason I'm floating here. Eyes, painted crystal clear. I can see our future through the atmosphere. Don't you go, no don't you go. Don't' you know I'm up here along? Yeah, I am like a satellite, sending you a signal tonight," I sang as I picked laid my clothes for the day out on my bed and prepared to get in the shower. I turned the music up so I'd be able to hear it over the water.

"Oh, oh, oh! Like a streak of light! Oh, oh, oh! Watch the world fly by! Oh, oh, oh! Rev your engine up! Everybody's racing at the speed of love!" I scrubbed my hair and washed before rinsing and getting out.

"You were so hard to find with oh, so many clouds across my summer sky. You, my constellation prize, yeah, every single star is sparkling in your eyes." I toweled myself off and began dancing in front of the mirror.

"So don't you go, no don't you go. 'Cause don't you know, I'm up here alone? So high like a satellite, I'm sending you a signal tonight." I left the bathroom to put on my clothes for the day.

"Oh, oh, oh! Like a streak of light! Oh, oh, oh! Watch the world fly by! Oh, oh, oh! Rev your engine up! Everybody's racing at the speed of love! Oh, oh, oh! Like a streak of light! Oh, oh, oh! Watch the world fly by! Oh, oh, oh! Rev your engine up! Everybody's racing at the speed of love!" I began brushing my hair and drying it.

"One track, one mind, one race to win. One start, one heart, one life to live. One track, one mind, one race to win. One start, one heart, one life to live."

I listened to the rest of the song as I got ready. I pulled on my black boots and scooped up my school bag before I headed for my door. Beside my door, handing on the wall, were sets of keys. I snatched my house keys from the little hook and prepared to head out the door, but paused and looked back at the other set of keys.

The other keys were a memento of my mother's, given to me after her death. They were a collection of decorative keys. Some were gold and some were silver, but they were each unique in their own way. Some of them had zodiac signs on them. Those were my favorites because they gold and beautiful. It seemed strange to say it, but some of them felt _stronger _than others.

I don't know what compelled me to grab them, but that's exactly what I did before I left for Fairy Tail Professions Academy. I felt, for some reason, that I would need those keys that day, though I couldn't explain it even if I tried. I shoved the keys in my bag with my other set of keys. I walked to the academy; it wasn't very far from my apartment anyways.

"Hey, Lucy!" a voice called. I rolled my eyes at the familiar voice. It was my pink-haired best friend sprinting my way. Did he really find it necessary to sprint, though?

"Hey, Natsu, what's up?" I asked when he finally reached my side. He smiled his usual goofy smile at me and ruffled his hair with a hand. He didn't even have to catch his breath. He was crazy fit, seriously. I'd never admit it out loud, but I could just take a picture of his abs and pin it up on my wall so I could look at them all day. I would do it too, if people didn't find it normal to break in through the window whenever they wanted.

"I'm walking to school and wondering if my best friend was… singing this morning?" Natsu looked at me with playful, questioning eyes. I blushed in embarrassment. He'd heard me, hadn't he? He had super good hearing, too. Did I mention that?

If I were to describe Natsu with one word, I'd have to use the word strong. At first glance, you wouldn't think of Natsu as strong, but he would definitely catch your eye. Natsu's head of bright pink hair could draw attention very well and was also a reason why the word strong wouldn't cross your mind at first. Pink was considered a girly color, though it was a bad idea to say that around Natsu. You don't usually associate 'strong' and 'pink' with each other.

"You _were _singing, weren't you?" Natsu asked rather amused. I nodded weakly even though I knew that he was just teasing me. He knew I was singing.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed about it. You always look like you have fun when you sing your favorite songs. Who am I to judge you for that?" Natsu asked rhetorically putting his arms behind his head. I laughed lightly. Natsu was my best friend without a doubt. I had more than one best friend, but Natsu had to be the closest of them all.

We walked further in silence for a while, and then Natsu broke that silence. His voice was like a metal hammer pounding on a thin sheet of fragile glass. The silence shattered even with how soft and quiet his voice came out sounding.

"Hey, Luce," Natsu began, his arms dropping to his sides. He nervously glanced over at me.

"Yeah?" I asked curiously. Natsu wasn't usually like that, quiet and nervous. He was wild and crazy and child-like.

"Do you… do you believe in magic?" He asked. I furrowed my brown in confusion. Why would he ask me that? Something seemed strange, Natsu shouldn't have seemed so nervous about asking a question like that. It just wasn't very… Natsu-like. I decided that I would let it slide and I just answered his question, putting thought into it before speaking.

"I'm not quite sure," I answered thoughtfully. "I guess that I do and I don't. I," I began but I snapped my mouth shut and shook my head. It was silly. If I told him about the keys he would think I was insane. But, then again, would he? He was asking me seriously if I believed in magic. I had to think about that a bit more.

I thought of the songs that I listened to, mostly Owl City, and decided that magic did exist. Maybe it wasn't _real _magic, but you couldn't explain it any other way. Wasn't that what magic was, something unexplainable? There were also the feelings I had about the keys. I felt like they were supposed to do something, but I knew they were just decorative things, nothing more. Were they though?

'Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem.' That blasted sentence ran through my mind once again. My mother had indeed drilled that sentence into my mind, and more often than not I found myself wishing that she wouldn't have. It caused more confusion and trouble for me than it should have, but I had to trust my mother.

There had to be a reason that she said those words before she died. Those words had to be more important; they had to be more than just mere words. My mother was a strong woman and she loved her family more than anything. If her last words were something that she stressed every day, then they were worth paying attention to. There had to be more to them. The statement even applied to the statement itself. Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem.

Strange, isn't it?

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**END NOTE: What did you think? Who else liked the song!? XD :( Did you think this was kind of a let-down after the prologue? It'll get better! It will! So, despite what the poll may or may not say, I decided to write this story, too! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review if I deserve it. I'll try and update the rest of my stories as soon as I have the chance. Until next time...**

**~Alice-chan**


	3. To Light The Way

**AN/: YAY another chapter of this story! I have to admit that I really like this story myself. I think this'll be my next BIG story. Like the Dragon Masters. :) What do you think? Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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We'd finally made it to school. The walk had turned into a trudge accompanied by an uncomfortable silence. Who knew that one seemingly harmless question could make things so… so _awkward?_ Never before has a question had me so stumped, aside from my high school physics class.

Natsu seemed a bit off after asking the question. He looked nervous, anxious almost, like he knew something was going to happen. He'd kept throwing nervous glances at me. For some reason the strange way he acted affected me. I had a feeling that he knew something I didn't know, or that he knew something he wasn't _supposed _to know. Either way, it gave me a bad feeling and I didn't like it.

"Good morning," Mirajane called brightly as Natsu and I entered the school building. Mirajane was an older student at the academy. There wasn't an age limit for enrollment and that was one of the reasons the school had such a good reputation. Students of all ages came together and shared their knowledge.

"Good morning, Mira," I greeted back. At least Mira was still her bright, cheerful, devious self.

"Morning, Natsu!" Mira chimed. Natsu replied with a wave and a smile. "The principal has called a meeting for A-Class, so we have to get going," Mira said. Natsu seemed to perk up at the words.

"We'll see you in class. Bye, Lucy!" Natsu shouted back at me as he took off with Mira. I wasn't in A-Class, so I often had to sit through History alone. Even though I was studying literature, I still had to take main courses.

It was confusing at first, how the classes were separated. Students were separated into different classes, but it only acted as a title of sorts. I was in D-Class, Natsu was in A-Class, but most of our classes we had together. I often tried to solve "the mystery of the A-Class", as I liked to call it. That was how everyone referred to it.

A-Class wasn't as big as the other classes and you would think it was picked at random. It was like a special class, but no one knew what was so special about it. Well, at least I didn't.

A-Class consisted of most of my closest friends. I remember when I first learned about the A-Class. Each student in the A-Class was given a list of names. That just said which other students were chosen for A-Class. I knew who was in A-Class because I managed to get a hold of Natsu's copy of the list. I remember reading down the list and as I read each I got more and more confused.

The first two names were Levy McGarden and Erza Scarlet. I figured at first maybe A-Class was for students who excelled in academics. I'd quickly shaken that idea away; I was reading from _Natsu's _list.

I'd read down that list over a thousand times but still couldn't figure out the mystery of it.

Levy McGarden, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane Strauss, Elfman Strauss, Lisanna Strauss, Gajeel Redfox, Cana Alberona, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, and Natsu Dragneel; those were the names on the list that really popped out at me. The list had more names, but there was a large handful that I knew. It was so strange, because there wasn't a single thing, that I could think of, that all of those students had in common.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I tapped my pencil on my desk, uninterested in the lesson the teacher was giving. I was so bored and the only thing I could think of was how that meeting was going. I had no clue what it could be about, but I was curious nonetheless. Two periods had gone by already and they still weren't done. It was the beginning of math class and still, no Natsu.

Another moment went by before the door to the classroom slammed open. It was Natsu that slammed the doors open and I smiled when I saw him. My smile fell quickly, though. He rushed to my side and yanked me up out of my seat.

"You need to come with me," he said sternly. He pulled on my wrist and I resisted a bit and looked toward the teacher. He had the same urgent and serious expression on his face and nodded to me that I should go. Another tug on my wrist got me to follow Natsu out of the room and down the hallway to the principal's office. Natsu wouldn't speak, so I spoke instead.

"Natsu, what's going on?" I asked. He only briefly looked back at me before he turned his head forward again and dragged me the rest of the way to the office.

Natsu was definitely off that day. He wouldn't tell me what was going on, but he seemed nervous and anxious. In turn, it made me feel nervous and anxious as well. I knew my father was trying to look for me now. It had been almost a year since I ran away and he'd never done anything to suggest that he'd come looking for me. But, I'd received an anonymous letter about a week ago saying that my father would try and find me, and when he did, he'd take me back without caring who he hurt in the process.

That was the reason I didn't want to go to school that morning. I hadn't wanted to go to school at all for the past week. But, the letter had been anonymous so I didn't know if I should've believed it or not. I was cautious the first few days, but nothing happened so I felt a little more comfortable. I wasn't that comfortable, though. If it had just been a prankster, how did they know that I had run away from home? It was freaky and it gave me the chills. Things had been pretty off as it was, but now Natsu was even on edge. He looked the way I felt, nervous, anxious, like he just had that bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. You know that look, right?

We were closer to the office now, but Natsu took a turn instead of going straight where the office was. We wound up in front of my locker instead, and I realized that it wasn't Natsu who had taken us there, but me. I paused and shook my head. What was I doing? I shook my head once more and opened my locker and grabbed the decorative keys I stuffed in my bag that morning. I didn't know what was going on, but if anything was going to happen, I wanted those keys close. They were a part of my mother, something she held close to her at all times. I felt that if I kept them close as well, my mother would somehow keep me safe.

Now I was being dragged down the hallway again. Natsu had given me a questioning look before he shook it off and grabbed onto my wrist once more. When we made it to the office Natsu flung the door open and practically threw me inside before following me and slamming the door shut behind him. The entire A-Class was still in there and they all seemed to stare me down. I felt uncomfortable under their stares. I quickly hid the keys in my hand in the back pocket of the skirt I was wearing, but I didn't know why I did it.

Principal Makarov approached me silently.

"Lucy, we have something we need to discuss with you," the old man said. I swallowed hard. What did they want to talk about? Was it serious? It had to be serious. The _A-Class _was talking to me specifically. They never did that. They all looked so serious, too.

"Please, take a seat, Lucy," Mira said softly as she motioned to an empty chair. She seemed less cheerful than earlier and that worried me. She seemed almost… sad.

I sat in the seat that was motioned to and took a deep breath. I had to be prepared for whatever they were going to say. I had to believe that everything would work out. I just had to.

"Lucy, we received this letter this morning," Makarov said flinging the paper onto the large desk in front of me. I scanned over the paper briefly to see its contents. I hadn't planned on picking it up, but after I read just a few words off of the sheet of paper my plans quickly changed. I snatched the paper from the desk at stared at it loathingly.

"_Fairy Tail Professions Academy,  
I know you have my daughter there. I assure you that your actions will not go unattended to. I am coming later today to retrieve her, and you will not stand in my way. Do so, and I'll make sure your precious little Fairies suffer. _

_-Jude Heartfilia"_

I crumpled the paper in my hand as I read it. My father was going to try and hurt my friends if they didn't give me up. He threatened them and thought nothing of it. How could he? What a monster he was!

Unknown to me tears had begun falling down my cheeks. I loved it at Fairy Tail Professions Academy! I didn't want to leave, but I didn't want the amazing people there getting hurt. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't let him take over my life again. Maybe I could run away again. As painful as it would be, I could leave the academy and start somewhere else. I'd cut all contact with my friends and start over.

"Lucy," Makarov said grabbing my attention.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked emotionlessly as more tears ran down my cheeks. How did they know it was me he was after? I'd just registered that little fact in my mind. I'd never told anyone about how I ran away from home. I'd never told anyone my last name. For an instant I'd thought that I could just cut myself off from them and they wouldn't know why, they'd be safe. I'd forgotten that they were the reason I knew my father was coming.

"That's the part we need to talk about, Lucy," Makarov said guiltily. I looked at him skeptically. Everyone wore the same guilty expression. What was going on?

"Master, he's here!" Lisanna shouted entering the room. Panic flashed across everyone's face, including mine. My father was there? What would I do? What was I going to do? I shot up from my seat and started at the open door. Maybe I was expecting him to just show up there and take me away before I could do anything. I was scared that he would.

Natsu, in a rushed and panicked motion, grabbed my shoulders and spun me to face him.

"Do you like being here?" he asked. I didn't understand why he was asking me that. He asked again. "Lucy, do you like being here, with us?" He motioned to everyone in the room. They were all my friends. I don't think I had any friends outside of A-Class.

"Of- of course I do!" I shouted. I quickly tried to wipe my tears away. "I love being here with you guys. I don't know what I'd do without you all," I muttered with a shaky voice. More tears were pouring down my face. Wiping them away had been pointless.

"Lucy, you're going to have to trust us," Natsu said in a rushed whisper. There was a bright flash of light and I heard yelling. I heard my father's voice demanding that I be given back to him at once. He made me sound like I was nothing more than a possession. I tried to find my father's face but the light that had mysteriously enveloped the room had momentarily blinded me. The only face I could see was Natsu's.

Natsu cupped the nape of my neck in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

"Trust me, Lucy," he said before grabbing my shoulders once more and shoving me backward. Somehow, the light got brighter and then, all the noise was gone. In fact, everything was gone.

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**END NOTE: CLIFFY! I'm really good at doing that, aren't I? So, How was it? Was it still good? Does it still have that aura of mystery and and stuff to it? Tell me what you thought! I'll update as soon as I can, but I have lots of things to do. Homework, typing up chapters of my other stories, I'll have band stuff that I'll have to deal with throughout the year. Yeah, it's crazy. Well, until next time...**

**~Alice-chan**


	4. Like Sherlock Holmes

**AN/: I really wanted to update this story before the 3 day weekend ended, so here it is! I really like naming these chapters. I think they cover the chapters quite nicely while also keeping a main, key point of the story in them. They're never quite what they seem, but when you figure it out, it makes sense. Do you agree or am I just crazy? Well, enjoy this chapter! This is becoming quite the popular story, I think... I'll shut up now.**

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I groaned and stirred from my place of landing. At least, I thought it was my place of landing. The last thing I could remember was being pushed backwards and being blinded by a bright, white light. Was I dead? I knew that at some point I'd blacked out.

I began to sit up. I blinked a few times until my surroundings became clearer. After a few more blinks I found that I was on the floor of the… school… office?

I slowly got to my feet and looked around. There was no one else in there with me, just me and the contents of the room. Something seemed different about it this time though. It was a very subtle difference, but definitely noticeable. What the heck had just happened? Where was everyone?

"Lucy!" I heard my name being called. I frantically looked around and ran to the door of the room. I knew that voice better than I knew my own sometimes.

"Natsu!" I called out. I almost ran into him when I exited the room. I stumbled stopping myself before him and he caught my arms before I toppled over. "What happened?" I asked. Natsu paused and looked at me worriedly for a moment. Why did he look so worried? What the hell was going on?

"Lucy!" I heard a chorus of voice. I turned to see a mob of my friends rushing at me. They tackled me to the ground crying hysterically.

"You're okay! You made it through! You're safe now! He can't take you away anymore! Are you alright? You didn't hurt anything, did you? We can't wait to explain everything to you! You must be so confused," many voices said all at the same time. I finally managed to free myself of the suffocating dog-pile and looked around. Now was when I first noticed what was really different. Everything was backwards. Things on the walls were on the opposite wall from where they used to be. Everything was literally flipped, except for the people there with me.

"Master, what should we do now?" Erza asked Makarov. Master? Why did she call him Master?

"Well, we explain to her what just happened. She's confused, you can clearly see she has no idea what's going on," Makarov said with a hint of annoyance. I ground my teeth together. I wasn't usually one who lost their patience easily, but a lot of things had happened that day.

"We have to explain what happened, why it happened, and how," Makarov finished. I could feel my blood boiling. If he knew that I was confused and needed an explanation, then why wouldn't he shut his yap and give it to me?

"How are we going to-" Natsu began, walking away from me and to Makarov. That was when I'd had it.

"Would somebody just tell me what the fuck is going on?" I screeched furiously. I was pissed, beyond pissed, in fact. I had virtually no patience left. I didn't even want to waste time thinking of better words to use than swear words. I didn't care. I wanted a damn explanation, and I wanted it now!

Everyone froze at my words. They didn't say anything, just stared in disbelief at my choice of words. I didn't care though; I just wanted to know what the hell happened. Why couldn't they just cut to the chase and tell me already?

"A bit impatient, aren't we, Bunny-girl," Gajeel started before I sharply cut in.

"YES! Now tell me!" I screamed. I saw him flinch and people's gazes drifted from me to him. Gajeel was a tough guy who wasn't usually scared of anything, aside from Levy McGarden. Seeing him flinch at something other than Levy was a first for me too.

I heard Makarov let out a puff of air.

"Come on, I'll explain on the way to the guild if you're really that worried about it," the old man said with another sigh of defeat.

"Guild? What the heck are you talking about?" I questioned. It was more like I was voicing my thoughts than actually asking the others. Makarov and, surprisingly, Natsu had begun to tug on my wrists and guided me to the exit of the school. They ignored my question and continued walking out the door with me in tow. The bright light hit my eyes and I had to blink away the pain, replacing it with the images of the outside world.

What I saw blew my mind. It was exactly the same as… well, before. No, not exactly the same. Wait, yes? No? Gah! It was so confusing. It looked… let's say very _similar_. Like the school, everything was backwards. The structures and buildings were similar, but very different.

"This is Magnolia," Natsu said motioning to our surroundings. I stood confused while I let the information sink in. I lived in Magnolia, and this _was _Magnolia, but it… _wasn't_. Did that make any sense?

A hand smacked Natsu in the back of the head and a gawked at what I had just seen. Makarov had smacked him, but with a _very _extended arm. It was like the old crone had stretched out his arm.

"Ow! What the heck, Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed rubbing the sore bump on the back of his head. He pouted wore the cutest expression of confusion I had ever seen. Seriously, his expression could rival a puppy's, and that's a big deal.

"You'll confuse the poor girl even more, you brat!" Makarov exclaimed. He sighed and turned to me. "We are in Magnolia, but this is a different world. Well, it's more like a dimension, but what's the difference?"

I felt my jaw drop slightly. I was in a d-different w-world? I felt as though my brain had literally fried. I wondered if smoke was pouring out of my ears, because it sure felt like it. In my daze Natsu and Makarov had started to drag me again. I didn't know if they were talking to me; if they were I didn't notice. I was still trying to get my head wrapped around the idea of being in a different _world!_

"Lucy?" Natsu called out waving his hand in front of my face. I blinked and was abruptly torn out of my cloudy daze.

"Huh? What?" I asked frantically. I looked around a bit and noticed the big building in front of me. How could I not notice it? It was huge!

"Looks like they finally got it done," Makarov commented. He shook his head. "I can't believe this place had to be rebuilt three times!" He began to massage his temples. Natsu simply laughed at the statement. "It's exactly the same as the one before."

I looked to Natsu, still confused. How could I not be confused when they hadn't done anything to clear away the confusion? If anything, they made it ten times worse.

Natsu laughed at my confusion. That jerk, laughing at other peoples' confusion and pain. Yes, being confused caused me mental pain.

"You idiot! Laughing at the poor girl, you should be ashamed of yourself," a male voice said. I turned my head to see the owner of the voice. It was Gray with a smirk on his face.

"What did you just say?" Natsu asked angrily. He walked up to Gray, glaring as he took each step.

"You heard me, Fire Breath," Gray replied. He began taking off his shirt, which wasn't too unusual. He stripped all the time, no matter what anyone said. Apparently it was a habit of his. I only wondered where the habit originated from.

"You wanna go, Stripping Ice Freak?" Natsu growled angrily through his teeth. I jumped back a little at the sound that erupted from my best friend's throat. It was an actual growl, like an animal. I was a bit relieved though. Natsu seemed to be back to normal. His comment to Gray was so like him. Those two always got into fights. The growl, however, was definitely new.

"Natsu, Gray, are you two fighting?" I heard another voice call out. It was Erza. She about gave me a heart attack. Did the people of Fairy Tail Professions Academy suddenly acquire a habit of randomly popping up out of nowhere?

I was confused, I'd had a long day, I was fed up with all the crap, and when that happens I can get kind of violent. I was no stranger to Erza's scariness. I also knew that when Erza caught Natsu and Gray fighting she would beat them up. In all of my frustration, I wanted to see some violence. Normally I would want to take my frustration out myself, but since the opportunity was already at hand, why would I just pass it up?

"Yes they were, Erza," I responded with a sly smile. Don't question me on my messed up logic. If something goes the way I want it, it makes me feel better. I figured it would be very helpful in my current situation since, not only did things not go the way I'd expected them to go, not that I knew what way that was anyways. But, I was confused out of my mind. I needed to relieve a little stress.

"So they were, were they?" Erza asked glaring at the two boys who were frantically and silently begging me to take back my words. I had no idea what had happened that day, but I was determined to at least get a little bit of happiness out of the day. So, I nodded to Erza, my smile widening as I did so.

I could actually hear Natsu and Gray swallowing in fear. Erza stepped in front of them and placed her hands on her hips.

"Friends shouldn't fight!" she yelled before clasping her hands in front of her. A flicker of light flashed in front of her and when it faded she was clasping a sword in her hand. I gawked at the sight. A sword… just appeared… in her hand… out of NOWHERE! What the hell was that about?!

Natsu and Gray took off and sped away from the raging red-haired woman. They ran inside the building that I'd been escorted to. I was still gawking at Erza when the rest of my friends from Fairy Tail Professions Academy walked past me and went into the building. They made comments about the spectacle but brushed it off as if it were nothing. As if a sword randomly showing up in someone's hand with a flash of light was completely normal!

After Erza had thoroughly beaten up Natsu and Gray with her magically appearing sword, that also magically disappeared afterwards, she approached me with a straight and serious face. I was completely baffled at what had just happened. Great, just when I thought something would be at least a little bit normal, it just went and made me more confused and freaked out.

"Lucy, would you please join us inside the guild?" Erza asked motioning to the big building. I looked up at the building again. So that was the guild? I knew what a guild was, but what kind of guild was it? I couldn't help but wonder.

"_Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem." _

I groaned inwardly. Why of all times did that sentence have to ring through my thoughts? But then again, maybe it was perfect timing. Everything with my father, what happened at the school, being in another world, the sword and now the guild; maybe there was more to it. There had to be more to it.

I walked inside behind Erza. There were tables lined up in neat rows on either side of the main room and in the back was a bar. I saw Mira behind it wiping down the counter. Everyone from A-Class was inside the guild. They all acted as if everything was normal.

"This is your secret, isn't it," I asked when at least one thing finally clicked. Erza looked at me with confusion. "The A-Class, its mystery, this is it, isn't it? This place, you all being here, that's why it's so special, isn't it?" I asked my voice nearly emotionless. Erza sighed.

"Yes, we're all part of this guild," Erza answered. Erza and I walked up to the counter of the bar and Makarov looked at us from his spot on the counter. He sat cross-legged with a mug of beer in his hand.

"Ah, Lucy, there you are," Makarov said. I stared at him suspiciously. I was never lost, was I? He knew where I was this whole time, didn't he?

"Well, I think I should first tell you that everyone that was in A-Class at the academy was actually born here in this world," Makarov said without a hint of warning. "Everyone born here is different from where you were born. Usually, we wouldn't let anyone who isn't from this world come here, but you're an exception, Lucy," Makarov said with a smile.

"Different? What do you mean different?" I asked. Natsu walked up to my side and nervously rubbed the nape of his neck.

"Do you remember when I asked you if you believe in magic?" he asked. I nodded slowly. "Well, I asked because, we… we're all mages," he said in a rushed breath of air. He quickly turned away from me.

"Wait, what?" I asked in disbelief. Did he just say they were _mages? _Like with magic and stuff like that? He couldn't be serious, could he? He would've told me if he was a mage, right? He was my best friend for crying out loud!

"You heard him right," Erza said taking a seat at the bar and ordering a slice of strawberry cake. Mirajane quickly rushed to the back and brought back a late of cake for the scarlet-haired woman.

"We're all mages of this guild, Fairy Tail!" Mira exclaimed happily. "For some reason, the master set up that school in your world. We were told we had to attend it until told otherwise," Mira explained.

"Yes, and that was because of Lucy," Makarov added. My jaw fully dropped. The master of a mage guild in another world had half his guild go to a school in another world because of _me? _

"B-because of m-me?" I asked. "W-why?" I shouted. Makarov seemed to ponder over it.

"I'm not quite sure myself," he answered smiling like an idiot.

"Totally not helpful!" I yelled in annoyance. Makarov simply shrugged.

"All I know is that the Magic Council had specifically ordered me to protect you. That included protecting you from your father, though I'm not completely sure why," Makarov explained.

I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. But, I had to believe it otherwise I wouldn't have anything to believe. I guess it made sense though. Makarov must've let me enroll without a last name because he already knew who I was. He was ordered to protect me, so he let me in so he could do his job. Then, he took me to his world because he had nowhere else left to run to when my father showed up.

The big question that sat at the forefront of my mind was the most important. It was a simple question, yet it seemed so complicated.

Why? Why did I need to be protected? What was I being protected from? Why would a big, fancy organization from another world care about my wellbeing? What did they gain from it? The big question was why.

I had to prepare myself. Since Makarov couldn't tell me why, and it was highly likely that none of the others in his guild could either, I'd have to figure it out myself. I'd have to investigate the mystery, crack the case wide open. First, I would find out all I could about the people who lived in this strange, magic filled world, and then I would find out all I could about the rest of the things in it. I would have to play detective if no one else would.

"_Life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem." _I'd solve that mystery too. I just had to. I never imagined that things could change so much by trying to do so though.

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**END NOTE: Well, what did you think? Will you be back for the next chapter? How about the chapter name? Have any comments on that? I hope no one is too OOC. I feel like they might be a little OOC, especially Natsu. Gomenesai! Sheesh, I'm really tired. I think I have a bad cold because my nose is all runny and I've been sneezing like every two minutes. I feel absolutely drained, like I just want to curl up in bed and sleep for days. Well, I got this chapter uploaded, so tell me how I did even with my crazy tiredness. REVIEW... please? Until next time...**

**~Alice-chan**


	5. Cluefinder

**AN/: hello! I'm back and not dead! I swear it! I've just been so busy lately that I haven't had time to update. But, I typed this chapter up just your my lovely fans! Aren't you guys special? ^_^ I've been doing some major work on my book, Vanished. Has anyone read the first chapter of that of my FictionPress account? You should if you haven't already. Also, Merlin series 5 should be starting really soon... like TOMORROW on BBC One. But, I don't get BBC One... or BBC America. :( These are dark times, aren't they? Oh, and for those of you who know about my possible Tobuscus (Toby Turner) short story series that I'm making, I haven't received a reply from him at all, so I am planning on sending him one of the stories then asking him again. I might even put them on . Well, enough of my blabbing, you'll get more of that after the chapter. Enjoy!**

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I was at a standstill in my search for answers. Actually, I was at a standstill at the door to my apartment. I was rummaging through my keys trying to find the key that opened the door to my apartment. Well, the one in the other world that was a lot like mine. Finally, after a good ten minutes, I wrapped my fingers around the key to my apartment. Pushing the small piece of metal into the keyhole, I turned the key and allowed myself access to the rooms beyond the wooden barrier.

When I got inside, I kicked off my shoes. I felt comfortable in my little replica apartment. It felt like my own, and in a sense, it was. There was only one thing that would help me relax even more. I made my way over to my bookcase where I'd kept all my books and CD's. I used my finger to stroke down the spines of the CD cases, looking for a specific one. When I found what I was looking for I promptly pulled it from the shelf and put in into my stereo.

The CD was my own mix, I guess you could say. It was a homemade CD with Owl City songs on it, plus some Port Blue, which was another project that Adam Young had worked on. I was just head over heels for that guy's music. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. I skipped straight to the Port Blue tracks. The first one was _Le Seagulls_. None of the Port Blue songs had lyrics, but they still captivated me. After that song was over, _Into the Sea _began to play. The intro was beautiful yet mysterious. It reminded me so much of what was going on with me. Being sucked into a world of beautiful magic, but having no real explanation as to why; it was strange.

I glanced over to the box where I kept all the letter I wrote to my deceased mother. Maybe, even though I was in a different world, she would still hear me if I wrote to her. Maybe, by some divine works of the gods, she could tell me what was going on.

I sat down at my desk and pulled out my pen and a sheet of paper and began to write.

_Dear Mom,  
Things have gotten really crazy with me. I was taken to another world that looks so much like our own. Only, this one is filled with magic! Doesn't that sound so beautifully mysterious? I've asked Principal- er, excuse me, Master Makarov about why I was brought to this place. He said that he was told to protect me, but he doesn't know why, or from what. Momma, I can't shake the feeling that you had something to do with all of this. You always told me that life isn't always fair, and things aren't always what they seem. Is this why you always told me that? You knew something like this was going to happen? _

_Momma, everyone I know, all of my friends, they are all from the world I'm in now. They're all from a world of magic. I can't help but feel like it's that way on purpose. Please, I know it's a stretch, but if you could somehow try and give me some answers, a clue of any kind, you know that it would help ease my feeling of… anxiety? I miss you Momma. _

_Love,  
Lucy _

I sighed and put down the pen. There was no way that this was going to work, but, it was worth a try. I didn't know if I would get any answers or signs, but that was just the thing. Even back in my own world, I'd never had a way of knowing whether or not my mother received the letters I wrote to her. It was my way of coping with her death, a way to make me feel like we were still connected. I shook my head and folded the paper in thirds and took an envelope out of my desk. I slid the folded paper into the envelope and sealed it shut. Glancing over my shoulder at the box on the shelf, I pushed my chair away from the desk. I looked back at the paper and prayed that my words would be heard before I stood and made my way over to where the box sat silently. Maybe soon it would have words for me… words that weren't my own.

I opened the box and gently laid the letter down inside of it. I shut the box and ran my hand over the lid once before I sat back down at my desk and pulled out the pages to my novel. I was just about to flip to the page I'd left off on, but something caused me to jump in freight. Or, excuse me, some_one_.

"Hiya Luce! It's awfully quiet in here. I thought you'd be listening to music," a pink-haired menace said over my shoulder. My pen flew from my hand and I placed my hand over my heart, attempting to clam its now frantic pace. I took a moment to catch my breath.

"Natsu, you idiot!" I screeched slapping him on the arm. I sighed and shook my head. I was about to inform him that I _was _listening to music until it came to my attention that there was no music playing. I peered over at my stereo curiously. It seemed that there were no more tracks to play, the CD having finished its playtime. I tilted my head slightly in confusion. I could've sworn that there were more tracks, but even if there weren't, it should've restarted the disc.

"Lucy, you're weird," Natsu said interrupting my thoughts. I looked at him with questioning eyes. "You're looking at your stereo all funny, you weirdo." He laughed at me slightly, but I shook it off.

"Natsu, get out! I'm going to work on my book. Just because we're in a different world, doesn't mean my rules change! Levy will be the first one to read it… when it's _finished!_" I said emphasizing my words. Natsu frowned and plopped down onto my bed. I hadn't noticed before, but he was wearing a pair of baggy pants with a brown belt, and an open vest. Of course, he wore his white, scaly scarf like he usually did, but now his chest was exposed to my sights.

I blushed and looked away quickly, hoping that he didn't notice the rosy color my cheeks had acquired. Damn him and those amazing abs, why did they have to be so distracting?

Trying to ignore his as best as I could I flipped to the most recently used page of my novel. I picked my pen up off of the floor and turned back to my writing. I jumped away from the page a bit when I saw that there was writing on the page. Yes, oh ha, ha; there's writing on the page of a _novel_. But the thing was… I'd never written anything on that page.

_My Dearest Daughter,  
So, you've gotten yourself sucked into a world of magic? Hmm, looks like you've made your way to the Counter-Dimension. Your father didn't make it in, did he? It's so hard to see him, mainly because I don't want to. I'm glad that Makarov was the one who helped you. He is a very trustworthy man. And your friends, I assume they are all in a Magic Guild. They're probably all in Fairy Tail, aren't they? Makarov is the Fairy Tail Guild Master. _

_So, your friend Natsu is a mage, too? I wonder what kind of magic he uses. Oh, before I forget, you grabbed my decorative keys before you left this morning, right? I have a feeling you did; that's my girl. They're called Gate Keys, you'll need them. Ask Makarov if you can join his guild. You'll fit right in with all of the other mages. Sweetie, you'll find your way, I know you will. Oh, and Welcome Home, my little Princess._

_Love Forever and Always,  
Mother_

"What's that?" Natsu asked over my shoulder. "Is that part of your book?" he asked curiously. I stared at the page wide-eyed and robotically shook my head.

"You didn't write that?" the pink-haired teen asked confused. Again, I shook my head. I just couldn't believe what was in front of me. I'd gotten a response from my mother, just like I'd hoped for. Even though it didn't explain much, it gave me a place to start. Maybe if I needed to, I could write her another letter and see if she'd give me some more clues. But, she'd given me a great number of clues to work with for the moment.

"Who wrote that then? Did someone mess with your book?" Natsu asked suspiciously and viciously. I turned to face him and swallowed hard. My mouth felt bone dry for some odd reason.

"My mother did," I told him, my voice coming out weakly. "I- I wrote to her a asked for answers or clues, and… she wrote back," I said, still stuttering in disbelief.

"Really?" Natsu questioned perking up in interest. "What did she say? Did she give you answers?" Natsu leaned over my shoulder to get a closer look at the paper on the desk. I didn't know why he would need to; he had immaculate eyesight.

"She didn't give me answers, but clues," I explained picking the paper up off of the desk. I began to list all of the possible clues.

"She mentioned something about the Counter-Dimension. I'm guessing she meant here where I am now. Also, she asked if my father had made it through to this place. That means my father has something to do with this whole thing." I lifted myself from the chair and headed over to sit on my comfortable mattress. Natsu followed me and sat on the bed next to me.

"According to what she said, it sounds like she knew Makarov, or at least knew of him. She knows about the Fairy Tail guild and then later on in the letter, she tells me I should ask Makarov if I can join. She said I'd fit in perfectly," I said scratching the back of my head.

Natsu's expression was hard to read. He looked confused, interested, curious, and excited all at the same time.

"What's really weird is that she called her decorative keys Gate Keys and said that I would need them. Not only that, but she said 'Welcome Home, my little Princess.'"

"Don't mothers call their daughters little princesses all the time, though?" Natsu asked with confusion. I began to nod.

"Yes, but it's the way it was written. See here?" I pointed to the word in the page and motioned for him to look. "The 'P' is capitalized, which means that it's an important title. The word is being used as a proper noun instead of just a noun, like it normally would," I explained. Natsu scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously.

"I don't quite get it, but I believe you," Natsu said. I shook my head a little bit and sighed. My eyes fell back onto the paper. Now that I had my clues, I needed to use them to solve the mystery.

I would start by showing the letter to Makarov. Maybe he could tell me what Gate Keys were.

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**END NOTE: Again, I'm so sorry for such the long wait. But, I hope this chapter is good enough to quench your thirst for more of the story for the time being. Okay, topics I brought up were my book, Toby Turner a.k.a. Tobuscus short stories, Merlin, and blah blah blah. Review this chapter, Please. You know, if you think I deserve it. I like getting my readers involved, so I want to challenge you to think of what the clues Lucy found means. Message me, review, and I'll see you all next time! **

**~Alice-chan**


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